Chandigarh/SAS Nagar (March 31, 2011): Various Sikh bodies slammed Punjab police officers who committed blasphemy by removing the turban of a Sikh youth Jagjit Singh of Verka in full public view at Mohali.
Various Sikh organizations jointly held a protest march in Mohali. Leaders of SAD (Panch Pardhani), Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat, Akhand Kirtani Jatha, All India Sikh Students Federation, Youth Dal (Panch Pardhani) and Guru Aasra Trust, while rejecting the suspension of concerned police officers as unsatisfactory, demanded that they should be booked for blasphemy (Section 295A) and for intentionally using Criminal force to dishonour a person otherwise than on grave provocation (Section 355).
Dal Khalsa Demands apology from DGP
Chandigarh (March 31, 2011): The Dal Khalsa has asked the DGP to issue public statement expressing apology on behalf of his ‘uncontrolled’ force. On the other hand Dal Khalsa Cheif Bhai Harchranjit Singh said that ‘apology from DGP’s mouth would send a strong signal to the 70,000 odd police personal and may prove to be a deterrent in future’. “He (DGP) should issue a circular to all police personal with a warning that none would be spared if found indulged in incidents of such nature”. He said it was shocking to see that Sikh officer was ordering his junior Hindu officer to remove the turban of a Sikh.
He said though the Akali government has placed both SP Pritam Singh and Inspector Kulbushan under suspension and judicial inquiry has been ordered still it’s unclear whether an FIR under Section 295-A have been slapped against both or not. “Let the Akali govt to exhibit seriousness by stripping off their uniform and sending them behind bars to set the exemplary precedent for others”, said he.
Appealing to the Sikh organizations to take the issue to its logical conclusion, he said we have to ensure that they were criminally prosecuted.
Coming down heavily on SGPC leadership, he said Akalis speak only when there was insult to a turban in foreign lands. “They keep mum when police in their own rule did the same to Sikhs over here”. “Jathedar Avtar Singh went all out to lodge community’s protest against the frisking of a turban of Hardeep Singh Puri at US airport by organizing a protest rally outside the American Embassy in New Delhi. “Would Makkar dare to hold rally outside the Headquarters of Punjab police at Sec 9 in Chandigarh to register community’s protest against the sacrilege committed by both police officer’s”?